Amended Juvenile Justice Bill passed in the Lok Sabha
Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill 2014 says that a Juvenile Justice Board will assess if a minor accused should be tried as a juvenile or an adult. With the passing of the amendment of the bill in the Lok Sabha today, it is one step closer to becoming a law.
The amendment to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Bill, 2014, would replace the existing Juvenile Justice Act, 2000. The new bill clearly defines and classifies offences as petty, serious and heinous, and defines differentiated processes for each category.
Under the existing law, juveniles face a maximum of three years in a reform facility even if the crime they have committed is brutal. This clause in the law came under severe criticism during the Nirbhaya case hearing when, one of the rapist claimed to be a minor.
